Lao Cai province calls for more Japanese investments
The advantages and potential of Vietnam’s northern border province of Lao Cai were introduced to Japanese firms at an investment and tourism promotion conference in Tokyo on April 23.
The conference features the handover of memoranda of understanding between Lao Cai and Japanese firms, as well as between Vietnamese and Japanese businesses. (Photo: VNA)
Tokyo (VNA) – The advantages and potentialof Vietnam’s northern border province of Lao Cai were introduced to Japanesefirms at an investment and tourism promotion conference in Tokyo on April 23.
Addressing the event, Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu stressedthat Japan’s investments in Vietnam have been on the rise over the past years, withover 74.4 billion USD poured into 5,304 projects as of March 2024, rankingthird among the 143 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asiannation.
The diplomat expressed his belief that the conferencewill provide a panorama picture on Lao Cai, helping the locality attract moreJapanese investments.
Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee TrinhXuan Truong briefed the participants on Lao Cai’s incentives to investors andcleared up questions raised by the Japanese enterprises.
Tsukada Manabu, Senior Director for Global Strategy(Southeast Asia) at the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), highlightedLao Cai’s high growth rate as compared with others in the northern mountainousregion, saying apart from agriculture and tourism, the locality boastspotential for biomass power generation and border trade with China.
The conference featured the handover of memoranda ofunderstanding between Lao Cai and Japanese firms, as well as between Vietnameseand Japanese businesses./.
The relationship between Vietnam and Japan is currently at the finest development stage, with a historical milestone being the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in November 2023, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang told her Japanese counterpart Komura Masahiro during a meeting on April 5 in Tokyo.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on April 11 for outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio who came to bid farewell at the end of his tenure in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) on April 23 held a ceremony to present the “For peace and friendship among nations” insignia to Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
The analysis from an investment perspective shows that the economy’s growth has been heavily capital‑driven, yet efficiency remains low as reflected by Vietnam’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) being significantly higher than global and regional averages. This underscores the imperative to enhance capital‑use efficiency.
The conference features the handover of memoranda of understanding between Lao Cai and Japanese firms, as well as between Vietnamese and Japanese businesses. (Photo: VNA) 
